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Diocese exhibited a double standard

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I write as a lifelong member of the Catholic faith. In a recent well-publicized incident, the
bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus dismissed a 19-year veteran (non-Catholic) teacher
from a Catholic high school for the simple act of listing her same-sex partner in her mother’s
obituary.

The other day as I was reading the obituaries, there was a listing for the death of a gentleman
who had “started his own company which primarily served the Catholic Diocese of Columbus.” Listed
as a survivor was his male partner. Also listed were the details of the Mass of Christian Burial on
Wednesday, which was con-celebrated by “other priests of the Diocese.”

How does the bishop of Columbus justify the fact that “other priests of the Diocese”
participated in the Ritual of the Christian Burial, while dismissing the non-Catholic teacher from
her job for the same grievous offense (listing a same-sex partner in an obituary)?

At issue here is not the fact of the other priests of the Diocese participating in the Mass;
they were merely showing the care and compassion that also should have been afforded to the
teacher. In contrast, the bishop decided not to be compassionate but rather to end the career of a
dedicated and well-liked teacher. How will Bishop Frederick Campbell choose to handle this breach
of Catholic protocol by these “other priests”? Will they also be relieved of their jobs? Should
they be? No.

It’s time for the bishop to show the same compassion and care as the “other priests” of the
Diocese and reinstate this dedicated teacher to her life’s passion of teaching physical
education.